Title of the Study Program Biology, ecology
Title of the Module
Faculty, Department
Instructor
Community ecology
Department of Biology
Address
Prof. Dr. Petras Kurlavicius
Studentų 39, Vilnius LT-08106, room 227, tel. +370 85
32652, petras.kurlavicius@leu.lt
Language of Instruction
Required Prerequisites
English
General Ecology
Bachelor degree studies (from 2 nd year of studies) Suggested Academic Cycle or Year of Studies
Semester
ECTS Credits
Contact Hours per Week
Compulsory/ Elective
Autumn/Spring
6
4
Methods of Teaching
Form of Assessment
Elective
Lectures, seminars and individual consultations
2 papers (20

+30

), individual essay 30

, final test 20

Course Description
The course is a detail and thorough investigation of theory and empirical studies of biological communities (mostly of plant, animal and microbial) including methodology, community structure, diversity, succession, and links to ecosystem function.
The main objective of the course is to provide the framework for understanding the main concepts and theories of biological community ecology, while familiarizing students with the important theoretical and empirical research in the field.
Most attention would be paid to (the course topics): interspecific competition, predation, parasitism, food webs and indirect effects, regional patterns in species diversity and abundance, species area relationship, island biogeography, habitat selection in animal, community assembly theory, ecological succession, community stability, patchiness and disturbance.
Readings
1.
Robert E. Ricklefs & Gary L. Miller. Ecology (fourth edition).
2.
Tilman, D. 1988. Plant Strategies and the Dynamics and Structure of Plant
Communities. Monographs in Population Biology, Princeton University Press.
3.
Tilman, D. and P. Karieva, Eds. 1997. Spatial Ecology: The Role of Space in
Population Dynamics and Interspecific Interactions. Monographs in Population
Biology, Princeton University Press.